An effective tarnish inhibiting ("TI") polymer composition including a scavenger for hydrogen sulfide optionally in the presence of an acid gas such as sulfur dioxide, provides excellent protection against tarnishing of the lustrous surfaces of a silver object. When the composition is thermoformed into a box-like container or extruded as film which contains uniformly dispersed solid micron-sized particles of the scavenger chosen from zinc oxide and a silicate of an alkali metal in an amount no greater than 5% by weight of the polymer, it is transparent so that the condition of the stored silver may be assessed. A solid inert adjuvant may be added. All solid particles in the material have a primary particle size smaller than 53 .mu.m which makes it possible to obtain the uniform dispersion. A silver object may be wrapped in the film, or stored in a sealed box so that the solid particles in the polymer are not coated on the surfaces of the silver object.